PCS Moving with Pets: What You Need to Know

What the Government Does and Doesn't Cover

The Department of Defense does not reimburse pet transportation costs. This includes airline fees, kennel fees during the move, veterinary certificates, or quarantine costs. These expenses come entirely out of pocket. Budget accordingly — moving two dogs across the country by air can cost $300– $700 or more depending on size and airline, and international moves with quarantine requirements can run into thousands of dollars.

Some installations have pet-assistance programs or non-profit organizations that help offset costs, particularly for OCONUS moves. Ask your gaining installation's Family Support Center about available resources.

CONUS Moves: The Basics

For domestic moves, your primary decisions are whether to transport pets in your personally owned vehicle, ship them by air, or use a professional pet transport service.

Driving with pets is the simplest option if your route and timing allow it. Plan rest stops every 2–3 hours, bring enough food and water for the entire trip, and research petfriendly lodging along your route in advance. Most national chains like La Quinta and Motel 6 allow pets, but fees vary and availability gets tight during peak PCS season (June–August).

If you're flying and bringing a pet in-cabin, most airlines limit cabin pets to dogs and cats under approximately 20 pounds including the carrier. Book early — each flight has a limit on the number of pets allowed in the cabin, and summer PCS season fills those slots fast. Larger dogs must fly as cargo or checked baggage. Many airlines have breed restrictions and temperature embargoes that affect when large or brachycephalic breeds (bulldogs, pugs, etc.) can fly.

Required Documentation for CONUS Travel

For domestic travel, requirements vary by destination state. Hawaii, despite being a U.S. state, has strict rabies quarantine rules — up to 120 days by default — that can be shortened with advance preparation through the state's 5-Day-Or-Less program. The state requires your pet's rabies antibody (FAVN) blood sample to be received by an approved lab at least 30 days before arrival — but since your pet also needs a microchip and two rabies vaccinations spaced at least 30 days apart before that blood draw can even happen, most families should realistically start the whole process several months before their move date. Confirm current requirements directly with the Animal Industry Division of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, which was renamed from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and now publishes at dab.hawaii.gov.

Most airlines and pet transport services require a current health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian within 10 days of travel. Schedule this appointment close to your move date, not months in advance.

Bringing a Dog Into (or Back Into) the United States

Since 1 August 2024, the CDC requires all dogs entering or returning to the U.S. — including those returning from an OCONUS tour — to be at least 6 months old, microchipped, and to have a completed CDC Dog Import Form submitted online before travel. For a dog that has been only in countries the CDC rates dog-rabies-free or low-risk, that form is the only document required.

If your tour is in a country the CDC designates high-risk for dog rabies, the paperwork that matters is done before you leave the United States, not before you come back. A USDA-accredited veterinarian must complete CDC's Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form and have USDA endorse it while the dog is still in the U.S. It cannot be issued retroactively once the dog has left. This is a specific CDC form, not the rabies certificate your vet writes for licensing, and the older workaround is closed: USDA-endorsed export health certificates issued after 31 July 2025 are no longer accepted for re-entry. Without one of these documents, a returning dog is treated as foreign-vaccinated and needs a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility before it can land.

This is a smaller trap than it looks for most OCONUS tours and a real one for some. Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom are not on the high-risk list. Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan, the Philippines and Thailand are. Check the list against your orders before you out-process, and note that it is where the dog has been in the previous 6 months that decides, not where it is stationed now. DoD veterinarians are USDA-accredited and can submit the certification for USDA endorsement, so a base vet is the right first call.

OCONUS Moves: Planning 6–12 Months Out

Overseas moves with pets require significantly more preparation. Some countries have quarantine periods that can run 30–180 days. Others require a specific sequence of vaccinations, blood titer tests, and government-endorsed health certificates that must be obtained in a particular order and within specific time windows.

Country-specific highlights:

• Japan: Strict rabies quarantine that can be avoided or reduced to as little as 12 hours if you follow Japan's specific advance preparation requirements. The key detail: the required 180-day waiting period starts after your pet's rabies antibody blood test is drawn, not from the day you start preparing — and getting to that blood draw requires a microchip and two rabies vaccinations spaced 30+ days apart first. Realistically, budget 7–8 months total from start to finish. Miss a step and you're looking at quarantine on arrival. The notification is filed with Japan's Animal Quarantine Service — the office with jurisdiction over your arrival airport or seaport, at least 40 days before you land — not with the embassy or consulate.
• United Kingdom: Pet Travel Scheme requirements include microchipping, rabies vaccination, and a tapeworm treatment timed specifically to your arrival date. Rules require an animal health certificate rather than an EU pet passport.
• Germany: Since your pet is coming from a non-EU country, your vet issues an EU Animal Health Certificate (not an EU pet passport, which is a document for pets already resident in the EU) no more than 10 days before arrival, after microchipping and rabies vaccination.
• South Korea: Requires an ISO-compliant microchip, a rabies vaccination, a rabies antibody blood test at 0.5 IU/ml or higher (run at an approved lab, with several weeks of turnaround), and a USDA-endorsed health certificate, which is valid for 30 days from issue. Korea does not impose the microchip-before-vaccination ordering that Japan, the EU and the UK do, and if the microchip or the antibody test cannot be completed before you fly, Korea will do them after arrival — with your pet held in quarantine at your expense until they clear, which is the outcome the preparation exists to avoid. Despite being described as simplified in places, this is a multi-step process that realistically takes 3–4 months end to end. Check with the Korean Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (QIA) for current requirements.

Your TMO Cannot Move Your Pets

The Transportation Management Office handles household goods and vehicles. They have no role in pet transportation. Do not assume your pet will be part of your government-arranged move. You're responsible for booking, transporting, and paying for your animals.

Pet-Friendly Temporary Lodging

TLE (Temporary Lodging Expense) covers lodging while you're between permanent homes at your new duty station. Not all TLE-eligible lodging accepts pets, including many on-post facilities. Before your move, contact the gaining installation's Lodging office to ask specifically about pet policies. Some installations have a limited number of pet-friendly rooms that go fast.

Large Animals and Exotic Pets

Horses and livestock are not covered under any PCS entitlement and require entirely separate commercial arrangements. For exotic pets — reptiles, birds, certain rodents — check both federal import regulations (USDA and USFWS) and destination country import restrictions. Some animals cannot legally be imported into certain countries regardless of your orders.

Cost Planning

Budget realistically. A CONUS move with two medium dogs typically runs $200–$500 in incremental costs (pet fees at hotels, airline pet fees if flying, extra vet visit for health certificate). An OCONUS move with a large dog to Japan, if you don't start the process early, can cost $3,000–$5,000 or more when you factor in extended quarantine boarding fees. Early preparation is not just about compliance — it's directly tied to cost.

Related Articles

• OCONUS PCS Move Guide — Quarantine programs, SOFA agreements, and the full OCONUS picture
• PCS Move Checklist — Where pet prep fits in your overall PCS timeline
• TLE vs TLA — Finding pet-friendly temporary lodging during your move window